I am struggling with a relapse of OCD after years of feeling much better with CBT and Sertraline. I took Sertraline for 7 years and stopped a few months ago, but found my OCD has come back as strong as ever. I have since resumed the medication by titrating back up to what will hopefully be a helpful dosage (under the supervision of my doctor), but I would like to know if anyone else has had a similar issue of relapse after stopping an SSRI. Additionally, did anyone find that resuming the same drug was effective in returning them to their previous baseline? I am new to NOCD and look forward to getting started with my new therapist in March. Thanks for any and all responses in advanced!

Ive been there.... and ill first like to say, relapse is no walk in the park 😖 and well done for going back to the meds (also a difficult thing) i hate this illness so much. 😔 I found the same dosge jus fine... give it time. I hope your doing ok, i know first hand how terrible it feels to have OCD knock u down, which in most cases is hard... but when the sneaky OCD beast gets in... its turly devastating 🥺 Hope this helps ❤

Hi, I had the exact same experience. I came off my fluoxetine (Prozac) a few months ago after 2 years and then had a big relapse, like I never would have imaged tbh. I’m now back on the meds and am regulating my OCD better and feeling positive about the future!

Sorry youre struggling but thats what I am worried about, depending on meds for the rest of my life

Yeah the meds normally keep you goin about 2/3 months after stopping... which is why u think... "great, i no longer have OCD" them boom.... its back.

And getting back on meds is tought, beacuse they enhance the thougts for like 2/3 days so its hell... OMG i hate this poxy disorder 😭😭

I had the same thing happen to me when taking citalopram. I thought I would be ready but as soon as I tapered off of them and stopped like 1 month later it hit me again and I am back on them not for 3 years.

A friend of mine stopped her medication after 3 years and had the same experience you had. Got back on the same medication, and she's back to being stable :) Had you done ERP as a CBT, or "regular" CBT without exposures? I think the ERP part is important. From your username, I gather we're in the same field. My OCD started during my first job (a lot happened that year at once) and I had my first heavy symptoms and couldn't work because my subtype is contamination. I was prescribed Escitalopram and CBT, but off the meds, CBT didn't help as much as I thought. When I started actual ERP, it was a game changer. I'm still on my path to (hopefully) recover, but more hopeful on the long lasting effects of the therapy. ERP is the gold standard psychotherapy for OCD after all. Good luck!